Briggs and Strattion Operations Update

[KE4AVB]

Gentlemen, Here is some reading on what is going on a Briggs and this is what they are telling their stock holders; to me it doesn't sound too good. Really sounds like someone at the top dropped the ball again.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/briggs-stratton-bgg-q4-2019-032318839.html

Any Opinions and/or comments?

[bgsengine]

Yeah, as I posted in the other thread, my take-away from that is Briggs, like other manufacturers have been seeing that market dynamic as I mentioned - Box store units are going ever cheaper (liquidations and inventory reductions, etc) , costs of service is increasing to where it's cheaper to just throw away the broken unit and buy a new one, than to fix the old one. Only real need for service is in warranty, or people trying to get cheap mowers fixed cheaply - the others , as they noted with the housing market - fewer homeowners and those that do own homes are hiring landscapers or mowing contractors to mow their lawns, so they have no need for their own consumer grade mowers any longer, or if they do their own, many of them are wealthy enough anyway to buy commercial units, and those are often taken back to the shop that sold them.. It's no longer feasible for a small shop to stay in business these days unless they have a large volume and repair ticket backlog to keep them busy and sell all their daily hours.. Then there's the battery powered stuff - far less maintenance on those, fewer problems to fix, no gas , oil, etc stuff to deal with, so no work for the small service-only shops to do..

In short, industry is moving to where consumer grade gas powered equipment market is constantly shrinking, as battery power takes over that market, Commercial contractor equipment is where the market is moving to, so the only shops that generally stay busy and operate as the owner's sole income source, are going to be the ones that stock and sell commercial grade equipment, the independent service-only shop is either gonna have to find other income sources, or close down entirely and just do it as hobby work.. That's my 2 cents worth. (adjusted for inflation, not even worth a sneeze in a hurricane these days..)

[tuffnell]

Yes, we really are a throw away society. But how long can it continue with all the concerns for the environment?

[KE4AVB]

All talk and no real action. People still pollute even it is so easy to just things in the trash can. They are everywhere. While I mowing yesterday I found a lot trash in my ditches like the plastic tee shirt bags. Personally I have reusing them as trash bags and the surplus of them are sent to be recycled at Walmart. People still pour their use motor out on the ground where as a shop I save and send for recycling, just took 5 gallons last week to Advance. People still burn used tires even it is ban here.

They are in a uproar about plastic straws hurting the sea turtle therefore trying ban them yet I don't see them banning those plastic tee bags which are causing a lot of wildlife injuries and deaths.I rescued birds that were trapped by these some just by the bags being wrapped around a leg and then getting hung on something and the bird got to just lay there and die from the lack of water and food just someone was to lazy to properly dispose of the bag.

Strange thing though no beer bottles/cans or soft drinks bottles/cans. I usually found them in the ditch and on my lawn all the time until lately.

IF everyone just did their part with the current recycle and waste disposal systems our environment would be a lot cleaner and safer for everything. But they are too uncaring and simply too lazy. Even my own mother would complain about others throwing trash out in our ditch and yet she would do it out shortly before we got home. I finally got her to understand the trash can was right by our vehicle when I park it and to wait until I got there. If a 70+ year old can change then the rest of us can too.

I hate a messy environment even through my home and shop is cluttered up with manuals and parts. At least not garbage. I through ranting for now....

Back to repairing the throwaways equipment. If the OEM just sold the parts we need instead trying to force us into buying nearly a complete engine because of broken spring. Yes it keeps the assembly at full capacity but not the repair shops.